MagLab scientists mentor students in outreach

What was the project?

The MagLab encourages its scientists to engage in outreach and education activities as part of its core mission. Recently, we have expanded into the training of college students in the proven practices for effective outreach and education. In effect, we are now training the next generation of mentors!

Two MagLab personnel worked with Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College students during the 2017 spring semester as part of the FSU Noyce Program (NSF Grant # 1439763). In this program undergraduates apply to work with scientists and staff at FSU who are conducting outreach. In 2017, Cody Davis (TCC), Nia Harmon (FSU Chemistry), Haley Reid (FSU Physics). Cody Davis worked with Amy McKenna (ICR) to research physics and engineering department chairs at Minority Serving Institutions to help McKenna, Roxanne Hughes, and Kristin Roberts develop a conference grant proposal for NSF.

Why is this important?

Undergraduates in STEM fields are often not given the opportunity to conduct outreach. The communication of science is a necessary skill and should be developed early in young scientists’ lives. This program gave these three undergraduate STEM majors an opportunity to communicate their science to students and to practice strategies for effective science education and outreach.

Why did they need the MagLab?

Amy McKenna mentored two of these undergraduates and Carlos Villa mentored one. Both of these MagLab employees are excellent providers of the quality education and outreach in which so many MagLab scientists and staff take pride.